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3 Secrets to How Ninjas Write Copy

Ninjas… ninjas… ninjas…

I mean they're cool even when they're turtles living in the sewers. But what's not to love: the sneaking around… silent footsteps… god-like speed of the sword…

They're pretty much the coolest people alive (or not alive, actually – since the last written accounts of them go back to the 1600s. Thanks Wikipedia.)

But did you know they write expert copy?

It's true. And I even gathered a list of their 3 greatest secrets of all-time for not just being awesome ninjas… but for writing Ninja Copy.

Secret #1: Espionage

(aka spying for those of you who haven't watched hours and hours of Roger Moore and Sean Connery)

Ninjas would never sneak into a building unprepared. They did their research. They'd scout out areas for as long as they needed to figure out every entrance, every patrol, the daily schedules of their targets, and a million other things of the sort. And then, they'd use this research to execute a fail-proof plan.

Copywriting is exactly the same. You never charge in guessing. You always start with your research. Find out what your target market wants… what kinds of frustrations they have, their experiences with past products / services that are similar to yours, their goals, dreams, aspirations, benefits they're looking for in your product / service…

Anything and everything.

Secret #2: Stealth

Ninjas were silent. They could walk across the world's creakiest, oldest hardwood floors, and not so much as the whoosh of cloth as they ran by could be heard. And though their effects were greatly felt – they were never seen. One day, a clan's leader would suddenly vanish without a trace, and no one would know how or why. And they would never get credit for their mastery either: except from their clients.

Okay – that sounds a bit grim, I admit. But it serves a purpose: as a copywriter, YOU are stealth! You're behind the scenes. Heck, no one but your client might ever know who you are, and that you wrote the copy. You take on the voice of your client, and translate their thoughts, visions, and goals into text that makes their customers want to buy.

This means not drawing attention to the writing itself. It means being a stealth writer. If people are focused on your style of writing, or on clever phrases, puns, etc. – they're not focused on the one thing we want them to: buying.

Secret #3: Assassination

(it's not what you're thinking…)

Okay, this analogy is starting to get much darker and more disturbing than I had originally planned. No, I'm not saying assassinate people who don't buy from your copy… or your clients when they ask for a million changes that hurt the copy more than help it.

What I'm saying is, assassination is the ultimate goal for the ninja. And he always focuses on it. Every move he makes, every hour of planning, every second of training is so he can complete his mission.

Never forget yours.

Whether it's to get people to sign up for a cause, fill out a contact form, or buy a product / service right there on the spot – always keep it in mind. Make every word, comma, dash, period, hyphen, etc., etc., etc. contributes to your final goal. And if it doesn't? Don't include it. Simple as that.

Share your thoughts!

Have any ninja tactics of your own?

Questions? Arguments? Random thoughts? Scroll down and leave them in a comment.

Or just leave a cool comment about ninjas – that'll work too.

Sayonara,

David

8 Replies to “3 Secrets to How Ninjas Write Copy”

This is such a cool post! I enjoyed reading it very very much. It’s pretty amazing all the inspiration copywriters can draw from ninjas to produce great copy, isn’t it? You’re brilliant! These are great, great tips for anyone who wants to write better copy.

That is a great analogy, & as with any analogy, you can carry it too far. After all, I don’t think you would want to title a post, “Assassination Copywriting”. It all boils down to using a hook in the title, focusing on one thing in the post or email, & using just enough of the right words to fulfill your promise. I like short, to the point posts which yours usually fulfills. Thanks for the insights and analogy.
Jerry

Wise comments, my friend. I think sometimes things seem so complicated we forgot that it’s simplest, and often most effective, to just focus on one or two things. Not overcomplicate stuff. Let a couple things shine rather than fifty blend in.

Were you implying that I took this analogy too far? (it’s okay if you were – no offense taken. I just wasn’t sure).